MATERIALS

• Corn syrup
• Red food coloring
• Clear cups or glasses (real glass works better than plastic)

DIRECTIONS

Pour some corn syrup into a shallow bowl. Tint with a couple of drops of red food coloring. Dip the rim of your cups or glasses in the tinted syrup and slowly spin around for an even coating. Set the cups/glasses upright. The syrup will drip down the sides like blood and then set. Fill the cups or glasses with apple cider or your favorite party drink. Your guest's lips will be stained pink just like a Vampire after drinking blood.

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TABLE DECORATIONS:

Here's a way to dress up the table. Buy some inexpensive chicken livers, pigs feet, calves brains (you get the picture), and put them in jars. Float the "body parts" in colored water and place the jars on the table. If that's a little too ghoulish, poke around novelty shops for other items more suitable.

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GHASTLY LIGHTS:

With a few light bulbs of assorted colors you can set the mood for what ever room you use them in. For instance, blue and green work very well for a forest or graveyard scene. Red and orange are perfect light for demons and carnage type rooms. Use purple lights for crypts or places you want dark, but not too dark. (Some places sell these as black lights. But they are not fluorescent!)

Fluorescent black lights are cool for space scenes and places where you have lots of glow-in-the-dark type stuff. Then the disorienting Mac-Daddy - The Strobe Light! Use this in the room for the main scary contact. Either leave it running or click it on just as the scary action is about to take place. Both ways are really cool and freak people out!

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Haunted Halloween Tombstones made from STYROFOAM brand floral and craft plastic foam will elicit shrieks and shivers from party goers and trick-or-treaters.

MATERIALS:

Shapes of STYROFOAM brand plastic foam:

1 - 12" x 1" disc
2 - 2" x 12" x 36" sheets
Floral knife or serrated kitchen knife
Old candle (to wax knife)
Letter stencils (optional)
Straight pins
Wood burning tool
White craft glue or low melt glue gun
Square edged floral picks
Acrylic spray paint:
golden yellow
black
silver
flat white
light green
Assorted dried flowers
leaves
branches
twigs
Spanish moss
Ceramic or real jack-o'-lantern (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut one of the 2" x 12" x 36" foam sheets into two halves, each 2" x 12" x 18". Using a waxed knife, cut a tombstone shape from each half. If desired, cut a cross shape from foam scraps; attach to top of tombstone using glue and floral pick.

Pin stencils to the surface of tombstones and trace appropriate letters with a wood burning tool; or, sketch letters freehand. Etch cracks, borders, scrolls and other design details freehand with the wood burning tool. (Always work in a well-ventilated area when using heat with STYROFOAM brand plastic foam. To avoid possible burns, do not touch molten foam with your unprotected hand.)

Spray letters and details heavily with black paint. Using silver paint, spray tombstones at an extreme angle to cover tombstone surface without filling in black details. For a muted gray color, spray flat white paint at the same angle across the tombstone. If a more aged look is desired, lightly spray tombstones with light green paint, again at an angle.

If black lettering and details have become hard to read, touch up with black paint.

Cut bottoms of tombstones at an angle; using floral picks and hot glue, attach tombstones to remaining sheet of plastic foam.

Spray paint disc golden yellow; attach to base with long floral pick dipped in glue at both ends. Be sure pick is hidden behind tombstones.

Trim base to desired size; decorate with your choice of Spanish moss, branches, twigs, dried flowers and leaves. Add optional jack-o'-lantern or other Halloween decorations.

CREATIVE DESIGN TIPS

Cutting: A serrated knife, hacksaw, floral knife, or X-acto® knife easily cuts through STYROFOAM brand plastic foam. Wax the knife blade for easier, smoother cuts. Sanding: For smooth, round edges, "sand" the foam with another piece of STYROFOAM brand plastic foam. For large pieces, cut first and then sand to the final shape.

Painting: Spray paint with acrylic paints. Enamel or lacquer-based paints may contain active solvents that can damage foam. (See paint manufacturer's instructions for details.)

Gluing: White craft glue is ideal for STYROFOAM brand plastic foam. Use floral picks or toothpicks to hold the pieces together until dried. For faster bonding, try a low melt glue gun; hot glue guns can be used, but they will melt a small portion of the foam. (Please follow manufacturer's safety instructions when operating a glue gun.)